Archive of Our Own

The bells rang so loud Wonwoo doubted they were real, they rang inside his skull and reverberated all through his body and it felt like the end of time. Maybe this was finally it, maybe it was the end of his time and he could finally rest. He let himself be yanked back from the park bench he was sitting, his conversation with the other almost as forgotten as his other memories, and imagined his essence being dissolved and returned to the universe at last.

The universe, however, seemed to have other plans for him.

Too many times has he been fooled like this. Too many times has he been given hope only to have it stripped away at the midnight chimes. Too many times has he been taunted with a happy ending, or an ending at all, only to be shoved back into whatever cosmic gamble/joke/variety show he was born into. Too many times has he opted to not play only to realize he had no choice in the matter. And yet, it continued. Again and again, throughout the changes in the world and its people, in the rise and fall of empires, in peace times and war times. Wonwoo remained but never stayed.

Countless others like him he had met. Countless other beings made of love and magic that found him at their lowest seeking advice or instruction or hope, only to be given none. He couldn’t remember the first one, the one that showed him what they were meant to do, the one who figured out the extent of their magic and how deeply it could change the world around them. All of that because they had stayed. All of that because of a human.

It was, once again, next to a human that Wonwoo woke up the next morning, like thousands upon thousands of past mornings. The first thing he felt were the sunrays playing around his face and the second was his magic recharging like it always did in the mornings. The two things were so intrinsically connected Wonwoo couldn’t tell which came first, actually. The Universe probably hoped that Wonwoo would give up on giving up and actually use his magic to find “his” human but the Universe had no idea how tired Wonwoo was of trying. It was simply a matter of time: one day Wonwoo wouldn’t regain his magic at sunrise. One day, the Universe would say enough and just let him cease to be.

It was not this day, though.

This day, he woke up almost powerful again, lying next to a human sleeping on the floor. The human wasn’t alone, however, he was sleeping under what seemed to be a human puppy pile. Wonwoo regarded them with mild interest as he moved toward the curtains, trying to pinpoint his location and how far he was from his park. He would wait out the day there, like he had been doing for a long time, and hope tomorrow wouldn’t bring him another human.

An annoyingly loud shrill sound from somewhere on the floor drew Wonwoo’s attention back to the puppy pile as it grunted and moved, limbs untangling themselves and producing a stray hand that repeatedly taped the phone on the ground until the noise stopped. The owner of said hand pushed the other two humans away as it clawed its way to freedom and after a struggled “ugh, hyung, get away” he was finally free. Wonwoo didn’t pay much attention to his features as they were mostly puffy from sleep and his recent laboured getting up, but he did notice the young man had perfectly round cheeks and an air of mischief about him.

Wonwoo watched as he sleepily thumbled his way deeper into the apartment, presumably to the bathroom, while the other two humans on the floor sat up with sighs and yawns and eye rubs, drowsily leaning on each other to get up. They eyed the mess of blankets and sleeping mats on the floor and the taller, leaner one tapped the shoulders of the shorter, stockier one and left the scene. Soon the sound of a coffee maker filled the apartment while the shorter one finished folding the blankets and cleaning the floor.

Mischievous one came back looking a bit fresher and was greeted by the tall one with a steaming cup of coffee and a pat on the head “Thanks, hyung” he said while the other smiled and passed by him, walking towards the bathroom. Stocky one watched and, when the door slammed, excitedly motioned the mischievous one over and whispered in a hurry.

“Soonyoung, check this out” he said, pulling a small velvet box from a backpack he had recovered from behind the couch. Mischievous one - Soonyoung - looked at it and his eyes grew wider with understanding and awe.

“Holy shit,” he whispered back, “today?” he asked and the stocky one smiled and nodded excitedly.

“I figured it’s time, you know” he answered “I’ve postponed it long enough.” His excitement was catching, Wonwoo could tell by the small little hops Soonyoung was doing in place.

“Yah, what are you two gossiping about?” Taller one was back, looking much better and definitely more awake than the other two. He eyed them suspiciously from afar, a lazy smile playing with his lips. The velvet box seemed to disappear in thin air between Soonyoung and the other one.

“Mind your business, Jeonghan,” Stocky said. One of Jeonghan’s thin eyebrows shot up and Stocky backtracked quickly “I mean, it’s not important business, Jeonghan dear”

“That’s what I thought you said.” Jeonghan replied, finally, and turned to Soonyoung “Are you staying over again tonight?”

“Uhm,” Soonyoung hesitated, looking between Jeonghan and Stocky. “Thanks, hyung, but I was just telling Seungcheol-hyung that I’ll stay with Jihoon tonight.”

“We don’t mind having you over, you know” Jeonghan said, “It’s always fun.”

Soonyoung smiled embarrassed “I feel like I’m intruding too much.”

“Nonsense” Stocky - Seungcheol - said, even though he looked a tiny bit relieved at Soonyoung’s refusal “We’re just sorry your place you taking so long to get ready.”

“Tell me about it.” Soonyoung said and fished his phone from his pocket. “Speaking of, I should go, the painter is coming over today.” he chugged the rest of his coffee and Jeonghan took the cup from his hands before giving him a tight hug which Soonyoung responded in kind.

“If you need anything, let us know, okay?” he said and Soonyoung nodded. He gave Seungcheol a quicker hug before picking up a heavy-looking backpack and dashing out the door.

Jeonghan sighed and rested his arm over Seungcheol’s shoulders “Don’t you just wish we could keep him as a pet?” he asked and Seungcheol snorted

“Pets are cleaner and better behaved” he said and Jeonghan bonked his head against Seungcheol’s “But I guess we could potty train him.”

All of this Wonwoo watched from his place next to the living room window. He saw how easily the friends interacted with one another, the skinship they so easily shared, the domesticity with which Seungcheol and Jeonghan talked with one another and now he had a pretty good idea what was inside the small velvet box. It all seemed like a bitter joke, a cruel prank the Universe pulled on him. It shoved him inside this home, so full of love and warmth, and dangled a life he could never have in front of him in just a few short minutes, taunting him to do something about it as if he could. He watched the two owners of the house, one of whom he assumed was his human for the day, and imagined the Universe was telling him they weren’t meant to be together. If that was the case, Wonwoo wholeheartedly disagreed. He had seen happy couples and these two seemed to be happier than most; Not all the magic in the world could make him capable of changing their story and, even if he could, he would never. He didn’t belong here, he could not take the life that was meant for them for his own and pretend to be grateful about it. Once again, he felt firm in his decision to not play the Universe’s games ever again and stepped out, leaving the two humans to their bliss and forcing his magic to abandon him and leave him to fade.

That was always the hardest part, the walking away. The pull towards magic was too great and the pull towards humans was even greater, no matter how much Wonwoo pretended to despise both. For centuries all he had ever wanted was to be alive amongst them, without magic and with a ticking clock. At this point, he didn’t even care about that anymore, he just wanted everything to stop. He figured he was a flaw in the system or that he waited too long and “his” human had already come and gone. He pondered on how toxic it was to exist only to find a better half, as if he couldn’t be a whole human by himself. He knew that was bullshit, he had seen it before in countless humans who were happy by themselves. His magic didn’t work that way, though. He had tried. He needed someone to ground him, to be the center point of his recreation. 

He cursed that. With all he had, he cursed that.

Why was his life worth so little it had to be attached to another to even exist at all? Why had he had to go through so much and for so long and still fail at the end, fully aware of everything he could have been. Why had he had to witness so much emotion he could never feel, so much joy and so much grief he could never share? Why couldn’t he just had been him and lived one life, instead of thousands, all the while waiting for a person to make him real? Why couldn’t he be real for himself? That’s why Wonwoo so envied and despised human beings. Their time was short, sure, but their lives were not tied to anyone else’s. They were truly free, able to choose their how’s and why’s and and who’s. They didn’t have much but they also didn’t depend on anyone else to simply be.

Wonwoo found himself back at his park. He had lost track of time, his bitter thoughts being his only company, so he had no idea how long he had walked for. He looked around, not surprised to find the park empty. He remembered when it was made; the trees that now provided ample shade Wonwoo had seen as saplings; the wooden benches that had once been white now brown and covered in mold from countless storms they endured. The park had never been popular or well frequented, so it gave Wonwoo silence and respite from his life. As he sat down on his bench, he felt the second side-effect of renouncing his magic: pain. Quickly, much more quickly than before, his body decayed from the lack of magic and pain came with it. He loved it, the pain his body felt by his decision being the only thing he could control about himself and he rejoiced in it, tasting even if for a little bit what it was like to be alive. For some time now, this pain has been the only thing he could feel. When it first started, Wonwoo worried and nearly caved and embraced his magic again. Over time, it became not only expected but welcomed. It was a small price to pay to feel alive, until midnight came and he had to start all over again.

He understood that pain was never a good thing and humans, rightfully so, avoided it at all costs. Pain was not relief, pain was not an answer. Pain only meant something was deeply, deeply wrong and he hated himself for what he had become. The Universe was very clearly steering him away from the path he had chosen for himself, but his anger spoke louder. He understood he was not meant to hurt, but he was tired of waiting to be what he was meant to be.

And thus, the day passed him by, as most days now did. Wonwoo, slowly decaying, sitting alone with only his darkest thoughts for company. He compared himself to the trees, blissfully unaware of their fate when they were saplings, now old and tired and still confined to this same space. Did they hurt too? Did they wonder what it would be like to be someone else, somewhere else? But Wonwoo knew it wasn’t fair because the trees, unlike him, had a deadline. Their time, even though long, was finite. And they waited for no one.

It began slowly, a tickling in the back of his mind like an old forgotten song. The pull of his magic a gentle caress and, for a moment, Wonwoo was everywhere he had ever been all at once, hundreds of years all relieved in less than a second before he got a hold on himself on the present, at the park, shoulders heavy with the ever-growing burden of his existence as the night grew darker. Another midnight approached and Wonwoo just wanted it to be over already, weary and unsure how much more he could take. There they were again, the bells sounding both far away but also inside of him. Maybe this could be it, his ending at last. For a brief second he felt afraid, what if this was it? For a brief second he felt sad, what if this was it? For a brief second he felt hopeful, what if this was it? His magic yanked him and he fell unconscious.

It wasn’t it. Unless it was being woken by a slamming door just as the first rays of sun found his eyes. Unless it was finding himself sitting down at the feet of a couch, sheets and blankets hurriedly folded over it doing little to disguise the old couch as an adequate sleeping surface. With the sunrise, Wonwoo felt most of his pain dissipate and his magic return, unwanted, even if it did feel weaker than usual, just by a little bit. That was a change big enough for Wonwoo to notice it, despite being small in comparison to everything. The small amount of pain he was still in was proof that it was working, his time was finally running out and he would soon be free. He almost smiled.

Another door slammed close by and Wonwoo got up, hearing footsteps approaching the room he was in. His intention was to at least see who his human was today and then leave for the park again, assuming he wasn’t all the way across the country. He supposed he could use magic to go back if that were the case, but he feared that would set his progress back. Better to not risk it.

A short human entered the room and looked around. He was not a kid, by all means, he was an adult just a bit shorter than what Wonwoo was used to seeing. He seemed wide awake, despite the hour, and Wonwoo was willing to bet he had not actually been asleep. There were heavy bags under his eyes and his hands had a slight tremor indicating too much caffeine consumption. Wonwoo watched as the man looked at the couch and then at the front door, a noise of annoyance escaping his thin lips. Wonwoo watched him for a bit, trying to feel something inside himself that told him he should stay for this one, but there was nothing. Had he been in a kinder mood, he would clear the caffeine of the man’s system and magically put him to sleep for a few hours. But, as it were, Wonwoo refused to use his magic for anything and whatever surge in energy he felt with the sunrise was quickly disappearing. Old habits were hard to break, he supposed, and he had to consciously purge himself of his magic at all times.

“Hyung, what are you doing?” a soft voice asked and Wonwoo looked up to see a much taller man join the other in the room. The taller man’s hair was a mess and it was clear he had barely just gotten up. The shorter man huffed as the taller hugged him from behind, somehow folding all of his height into the shorter man who didn’t seem bothered at all. 

“What are you doing up, Mingyu-ya?” The shorter man tried to sound annoyed but it came out fondly, one of his hands wrapping around Mingyu’s forearm. He closed his eyes and leaned his head back, while Mingyu buried his nose further against his neck.

“Couldn’t sleep.” Mingyu answered, his voice muffled “Felt too cold”

“You big baby.” the shorter man cued “I got worried when I heard the door but it was just that idiot.”

“He left already?” Mingyu picked his head up and his eyes fell directly on the badly made couch. He chuckled, “He didn’t even stay for coffee.”

“I told him it was fine but all he said was ‘I gotta leave early, Jihoon-ah’ I thought he meant early for him, not early early” the shorter man - Jihoon - sighed and somehow cuddled even deeper into Mingyu’s embrace.

It was too much too soon for Wonwoo and he felt like calling upon his magic just to burn the scene before him from his memory permanently. It felt like punishment, like the Universe kept rubbing in his face that which he could never have, no matter how powerful he was. It was even crueler because Wonwoo felt weaker than ever, despite the early morning hour. He felt like crying, if he could cry. He felt like screaming, if anyone could hear him. His anger and resentment filled him and spilled out, and suddenly he found himself on the street somewhere. He realized he had lost control of his magic, too angry to even notice he wasn’t pushing it away anymore, and his magic took him far away from what was hurting him. And, luckily, prevented him from doing anything he would later regret like actually burning the building down.

For a second, he thought maybe his magic had brought him closer to his park, given that there was his only sanctuary, but instead he was in a sidewalk he couldn’t remember ever seeing, in front of a hole-in-the-wall coffee shop that could have just been opened or been in business for 50 years, the mismatched furniture and wooden bookshelves filled with old, yellow-paged books could indicate it had been recently made to look like that on purpose or a sign it had been in business for so long the owners just replaced furniture when it broke. Whatever the case, it looked comfortable and inviting, and Wonwoo couldn’t help but to walk in.

Inside, there were only two people which Wonwoo thought nothing of. One was a young man behind the counter, messing around with the coffee maker with a lazy smile on his face, chatting away animatedly with the customer who sat on the stool in front of him. The customer turned around when Wonwoo entered and Wonwoo would have choked if he could breathe. He normally forgot humans as fast as he met them, but it was the air of mischief that gave the customer away. It was Soonyoung, one of the humans from the day before.

“Oh” Soonyoung said, staring straight at him and causing the barista to look up from his work. His lazy smile grew wider, even friendlier and he said in a happy tone “Good morning! Have a seat if you want, I’ll be right with you”.

Wonwoo stared wide-eyed at both men; the barista went back to work but Soonyoun kept looking at him, right at him, head tilted in confusion. But if he was confused, Wonwoo had no idea what to call what he himself was. He couldn’t remember the last time he was spoken to by a human, let alone the last time he was seen by a human. It had been too long, far too long, since Wonwoo had decided to remove himself from the human world and that included being invisible and unnoticeable to all humans. But now, the barista had just wished him a good morning and Soonyoung kept looking at him and it was frankly freaking him out. He had never lost control of his magic so fiercely and it seemed to have undone everything he had worked for in the last few centuries.

“I-I’m sorry” Wonwoo said, the words weird in his mouth. Other than his last conversation a couple days ago, he hadn’t spoken in years “Forgot…money.” Finding words was even harder than speaking them and Wonwoo felt he would be beet red if he could blush at all. Soonyoung’s gaze was unnerving and Wonwoo had forgotten what it felt like to be seen.

“You look like you could use a coffee” Soonyoung said, at last, and something about his voice sounded to Wonwoo similar to the bells he was hearing lately as the strike of midnight. Not the tone, or the volume, but how it shook him from the inside out. “Sit with us, Jun will make you something and put it on my tab.”

“You don’t have a tab, bitch” the barista - presumably Jun - said before handing Soonyoung an extremely large cup of some mysterious coffee-based beverage. Soonyoung just laughed and rolled his eyes “Fine,” he said and turned back to Wonwoo “Jun will make you something and put it on his tab”

Jun rested both of his hands on his waist and cocked his hips, looking annoyed at Soonyoung despite the smile never really leaving his face “I’m not made of money, you know?” he said and Soonyoung turned to look at him, pretending to be hurt by his words “But you are made of love for me, though?”. They stared at each other like that for a few seconds before Jun finally caved and sighed loudly “Fine,” he said, and to Wonwoo “come, sit down. It’s on the house. Today only and only the daily special.”

Wonwoo, still flabbergasted by the entire morning he was having, could do little but to obey. His previous anger was completely forgotten and replaced in its entirety by confusion. Why had his magic brought him here instead of his park? How was it possible that, of all the humans in the world, he found himself in near proximity to Soonyoung again, so shortly after he had last seen him in his friend’s house?

“I’m Soonyoung, by the way” Soonyoung said, as Wonwoo sat down slowly on the stool next to him. He raised his hand, offering it for Wonwoo to shake it and, instinctively, Wonwoo reciprocated the gesture. As their hands got closer, Wonwoo remembered it was impossible for him to physically touch a human or the other way round. He had no physical body and his mind raced through excuses to pull his hand back and refuse the greeting. However, before he could, Soonyoung’s hand touched his and every last rational thought abandoned Wonwoo’s mind. His hand did not go through Wonwoo’s like it wasn’t there, like it was made of air. He grabbed it, firmly, solid and warm and Wonwoo felt dizzy. For a second, while they made contact, Wonwoo could feel the warmth inside the coffee shop as opposed to the cold outside on the street; he could smell the freshly brewed coffee and baked pastries and even the perfume Soonyoung was wearing. Everything seemed brighter, more contrasted, sharper than before and, as soon as it had come, it was over. Soonyoung retracted his hand and, quickly, looked down at it with his head tilted. Wonwoo, for his turn, was having a hard time catching his breath which was saying a lot because he didn’t breathe.

“Wonwoo.” Somehow, Wonwoo remembered to say “Call me Wonwoo.”

“Here you go, sis” Jun said, placing a steaming mug of frothy latte in front of Wonwoo, with a smile on his face and a small chocolate cookie on a separate platter.

“Hey, you didn’t give me a cookie” Soonyoung whined with a pout.

“The day I feel you deserve a cookie I will give you a cookie” Jun replied with a smirk and sat down in front of them, on a stool on the other side of the counter. “So, Wonwoo, tell me.” Jun continued “What brings a nice boy like you to a place like this with no money?”

Wonwoo thought he felt the tip of his ears grow warmer under the watch of the pair, but of course that was impossible. He excavated his muddy brain in search of a plausible, human explanation for what was happening to him. “I was…late?” He tried and that seemed to work, somehow, as both men nodded in sympathy. Being late was, apparently, a common human struggle and a safe bet for when a magical creature needed to explain his actions without mentioning magic.

“Well, drink your coffee and you can be on your way,” Jun said, smiling encouragingly at Wonwoo who could do little more than grab the mug and bring it to his lips. He figured he could pretend to drink it, since he couldn’t actually, physically drink it, but the second the warm liquid touched his lips he could feel it, he could taste it and somehow, inexplicably, downed half the drink in one go. It was sweet but also a little bitter, hearty and it warmed him up from the inside out. He couldn’t prevent a surprised and pleased hum and Jun’s smile grew even wider “I know, it’s the best thing you’ve ever had.”

“It actually is,” Wonwoo agreed, partly because it was really good, partly because he had never drunk anything else ever in his existence. Soonyoung huffed and muttered under his breath “I can make coffee too.”

“Then why don’t you?” Jun asked, feigning innocence, “Don’t be jealous, handsome Wonwoo has good taste, that’s all.”

“Handsome?” Wonwoo asked but the friends ignored him and continued bickering. It gave Wonwoo time to think. When he lost control over his magic a few moments ago, he must have done more than just coming here. It had been something that shouldn’t be possible, but his anger fueled magic must have given him some sort of solidity as well as visibility, that was why he could actually touch and feel things. Or, maybe, this was the last stage of fading and his magic was even weaker, his body becoming physical so it could eventually disappear. Either/or.

“...and then he never showed up” Soonyoung was talking and Wonwoo forced himself to at least be present for a little while longer, it was the least he could do for this two humans who gave him free coffee “And now everything is behind schedule and I don’t know what to do.”

“Soonyoungie, you don’t need to pay a painter to finish your apartment” Jun cooed “Just say the word and we’ll come and help you. It would be great for Seokmin, he’s been moping around miserably since Joshua-hyung went on that trip.”

“Hey, that…” Soonyoung started and hesitated, pensieve “That would actually be great. Would you guys?”

“Of course, bitch. We love having you couch surfing around our houses but you need your space” Jun lightly flickered Soonyoung on the forehead “Should’ve said something sooner, idiot.”

“I can help.” Wonwoo prompted, surprising everyone, including himself. He didn’t remember the last time he helped a human, much less volunteered to do so, but these ones gave him coffee and he was still a bit out of it after everything that had been happening the whole morning.

Plus he thought he could still feel Soonyoung’s warmth against his hand and it was distracting.

Jun eyed him suspiciously but Soonyoung’s eye lit up like someone had told him Christmas came early “That would be amazing, yes, thank you”

“Wait a minute” Jun said “That’s very kind of you, Wonwoo, but to be fair, we barely know you. You could be, you know, a handsome assassin or a handsome mafia member.”

“I can assure you I’m none of those things.” Wonwoo said, biting back a laugh. If he told them what he really was, they would not believe him and then wish he were either an assassin or a mafia member.

“Junnie, you gave him coffee, he’s basically family” Soonyoung protested “Also, you always trust handsome strangers, have you ever seen a movie? Nothing bad happens when you trust a handsome stranger.”

Wonwoo wished they would stop throwing the word handsome around when referring to him. He had no idea how it could even be applied to him, since he had no idea what he actually looked like. The only thing he was happy about is that whatever fluke happened with his magic, it at least gave him clothes; he had never had to worry about it, but the dark suit pants and white button-up shirt at least seemed to suit him well.

“No, we don’t, Soonyoung and you need to stop trying to take life lessons from porn” Jun sounded exasperated and he sighed heavily “Look, Wonwoo, it really was nice of you to offer but…”

“Let’s ask Jeonghan-hyung what he thinks” Soonyoung interjected and by the look in his eyes he seemed like a man playing his desperate last card. Jun immediately stopped talking and turned to look at him, slowly, like he wasn’t sure he was hearing things correctly. “Are you sure about that?” Jun asked and Soonyoung nodded. “Fine, but I’ll call him.”

“No problem” Soonyoung agreed and then winked at Wonwoo. For the literal millionth time that morning alone, Wonwoo asked himself what was even happening. The name Jeonghan sounded familiar but Wonwoo couldn’t place exactly where he had heard it before and he blamed it on his recently absent disinterest in humans in general and on Soonyoung’s wink.

“ Tell me there’s a good reason for you to be calling me at ass o’clock in the morning, Moon Junhui, ” a groggy voice said. Wonwoo turned back to see Jun, staring at the phone in his hands.

“Good morning to you too, hyung” Jun said, happily. “I’m here at the coffee shop with Soonyoungie and we were talking about his renovations problem and a very handsome stranger offered to help.”

“ Fuck me, does Soonyoung want to get murdered? ” There was some rustling along with a sigh and a distant grumble, but when Jeonghan spoke again he sounded more awake. “ Fine, let me see this man .”

Jun obediently turned his phone around but his smile fell. Both him and Soonyoung shared a worried look behind the phone, hidden from Jeonghan, and Jun mouthed “ What the fuck?” Where Wonwoo had been sitting just a moment ago there was now nothing. The half-drunk cup of coffee was still there, so was the untouched cookie, but there was no Wonwoo.

“ Well?” Jeonghan asked, sounding annoyed “ where is he? ”

“Hm, never mind, hyung” Jun turned the phone back around and smiled at his hyung “It was just a prank, haha. You can go back to have engaged people sex now.” he hung up the call before Jeonghan could say anything else. “What the fuck?” Jun repeated, out loud, looking around frantically. Soonyoung looked just as spooked, but he stared intently at the stool Wonwoo had been sitting on as if it had swallowed him somehow.

Wonwoo, of course, had not been swallowed by a wooden stool. In fact, he had recovered whatever sense he used to have and reached for his magic, this time on purpose. Before either of the humans noticed, Wonwoo was invisible again and halfway out of the door. He had let whatever weird thing that had been happening with him lately go too far. It had all started the day after he met the weird one with the orange hair which had been only two nights ago, even though it felt longer. Wonwoo imagined if that boy had, somehow, used his own magic on Wonwoo to make him feel things like a human did. He didn’t know if it was possible but he struggled to find another answer. None of the humans he had met previously were in relationships, for one. He had now woken up in the home of not one, but two different couples. Secondly, no matter how angry he got, he had never lost control of his magic. It had always done what he wanted it to do, including fucking off. Lastly, and although Wonwoo was hesitant to admit it, he had been growing weaker. It had been slow, but every morning had brought him a little less strength, a little less magic. He believed it was because his plan was finally working, the Universe was giving up on him just as he had given up on it. His time was close.

Then there was that damn wink.

Wonwoo stood just on the outside of the coffee shop now, watching Soonyoung and Jun argue with excited hand gestures. Soonyoung kept pointing at Wonwoo’s abandoned coffee and Jun kept opening his arms, gesturing towards the whole shop. Wonwoo stifled a laugh, he could almost hear what they were saying, humans were that predictable. Although that was unfair, Wonwoo did disappear on them, obviously they would argue about that. 

Shit, Wonwoo was so stupid. So dumb, stupid, idiot. Why had he let this go this far, why didn’t he just walk out the door when he noticed he wasn’t invisible, why did he offer himself to help paint Soonyoung’s apartment? What had gotten into him in less than 15 minutes to make him forget the last couple centuries of avoiding humans?

Why wasn’t he walking away?

He was awakened of his inner conflict by a group of teenagers walking through him and into the coffee shop, bags and books on arms,  probably planning on getting an extra dose of caffeine before their classes. He saw as Jun turned away from Soonyoung and towards the new clients, customer service smile in place. Soonyoung, for his turn, got up and waved Jun goodbye, lugging his big backpack across a shoulder and exiting the shop. Wonwoo watched Soonyoung text something on his phone and, after putting it away, marched down the street away from the shop. Wonwoo saw Jun juggling the teens orders, smile never fading despite the ruckus, and Soonyoung walking away alone with his huge backpack and the decision was clear. He followed Soonyoung.

It was unclear why he was following Soonyoung at all instead of finding his way back to his park. Curiosity, mostly, he thought. He was intrigued by the man, who somehow looked so mischievous and so naive. He was intrigued by his living situation and he had offered to help, even though he had no idea why. He wondered what it was about Soonyoung, specifically when they shook hands, that had turned Wonwoo’s day upside down. A voice in the back of his mind echoed that he had renounced interest in human affairs, but Wonwoo ignored it. He wasn’t going anywhere anyway today, might as well satisfy his curiosity today and try to disappear again tomorrow.

As the hours grew later from dawn to socially acceptable, the streets became busier with morning commuters and students, workers with briefcases fighting old ladies for a place in line to the bus or the stores. Business owners opened their doors and greeted passersby with enthusiastic waves, offering them great deals all around. In the midst of all, Wonwoo worried he might lose track of Soonyoung, but his large backpack stood out easily enough so all Wonwoo had to do was push through it all, relieved to know his body was no longer physical and he could move around people as if made of air.

Soonyoung was also undeterred by the crowds; he continued expertly navigating the streets, his dodging and sprinting almost grateful. Wonwoo followed him through a few turns and only stopped when Soonyoung did, at the door of a building, but only long enough for him to punch in a security code and hurry inside. Weightlessly, Wonwoo went after him into the lobby and then the elevator. For a brief second, Wonwoo thought his magic had failed him again when Soonyoung, checking his reflection on the elevator mirror, seemed to pause his gaze a little bit longer over the empty space where Wonwoo’s reflection would be, but the man simply shook his head and finished fixing his hair.

The elevator pinged pleasantly as it stopped on the seventh floor and Soonyoung walked out purposefully, patting his pockets until finally fishing out a keyring and unlocking the third door to his left. Wonwoo heard him sigh softly as he walked in, and when Wonwoo entered the apartment behind him he understood why. He doubted a fresh coat of paint would do much to help Soonyoung: there were traces of half-completed renovations everywhere. Dry pieces of cast and concrete stained the floor, the walls had been stripped of their previous paint and wallpaper, some sockets were missing with only yellow tubes hanging out from holes on the walls. On further inspection, Wonwoo noticed that there wasn’t a toilet yet or a shower. All in all, it looked like the apartment had been half-built and then the workers decided to give up on it and just leave.

Soonyoung looked around with a tired expression; he seemed annoyed, heartbroken and utterly exhausted. He dropped his bag with a grunt and once again grabbed his cellphone, fingers expertly scrolling down his contacts list before deciding on one and pressing the call button. 

“Ah, Jihoonie, good morning,” He said, after a few moments of silence. He listened for a while, before continuing “I don’t know. Nobody is here, everything is shit and I don’t know what to do.” Wonwoo could hear Jihoon’s faint voice coming from the phone, he spoke fast and seemed to be as angry as Soonyoung was sad “I think so, too” Soonyoung said in reply to whatever Jihoon had said “But I can’t afford to hire someone else, so I don’t know.”

Jihoon continued speaking and Soonyoung only agreed in hums and sometimes an interjection or two. But, in the end, Wonwoo had got the gist of what was happening: Soonyoung had saved for a long time to renovate the old apartment he had inherited but the contractor he hired had disappeared with his money after doing a bad job at pretending he had been working in the apartment. Soonyoung had been too embarrassed to say anything when the man disappeared, so he told all his friends (except Jihoon) that the renovations were nearly done but only a bit delayed so they would still let him crash with them until then. However, it had been going on for a while and Soonyoung couldn’t postpone telling the truth for a while.

If Wonwoo had any blood, it would be boiling at this point, watching Soonyoung unravel on his phone call with Jihoon. Wonwoo could see it had taken its toll on Soonyoung, putting up such an upbeat attitude around his friends, not wanting them to worry about him. If anything, he was glad he still had someone like Jihoon to support him, but there was still an instinct within Wonwoo to make him want to step up and help too, to comfort Soonyoung, to fix everything, despite his promise to himself to never again get involved in human affairs. Eventually, Soonyoung hung up the phone and put it back in his pocket, drying his tears with his other hand. He looked as if a weight had been lifted from his shoulders, even though he was still very much in the middle of a shitshow, only partially metaphorically. Not having much left to do, he tossed his bag in a somewhat cleaner corner of the floor and walked out, going where Wonwoo did not know, but this time Wonwoo didn’t follow him.

He had no idea why, but there it was again, the primal need rooted deep in him to help them, the humans. It had been so long since he had done anything other than find a way to his park and a longer time still where he had used his magic for anything other than pushing it away. He was weaker, weaker than he’s ever been, his body still in some weird pain in the middle so he had no idea if he could actually do what he was planning to do, but he felt like he needed to at least try. Soonyoung didn’t seem like most humans he had met throughout history, but Wonwoo couldn’t explain what was different about him, he just knew he was. 

Maybe this was a test from the Universe to see if Wonwoo really wanted to stop. Maybe, if Wonwoo really was serious about giving up, he should remain truthful to his word and walk away now, leave the humans to fend for themselves like they have always done. Soonyoung would find a way, his friends would help him and it would be okay eventually. But then again, how long would that take and how much pain and distress would it cause Soonyoung? Maybe he deserved a break, maybe he deserved a more immediate kind of help. Wonwoo was rationalizing his decision, trying to convince the more skeptical parts of himself of the decision he had already made. Reaching for whatever magic he still had, Wonwoo got to work.

“Thank you again so much for this, Jihoonie” Soonyoung’s voice carried easily down the hallway along with the echoing of footsteps, getting closer. Wonwoo barely had the strength to check if he was still invisible, but trusted his instincts he was. It had been far too long since he exerted himself like this and on top of his magic being a bit wonkier these last couple of days, he felt like he would pass out if he could. As it were, he was sitting on the floor, leaning against a wall opposite to the entrance door so he could see Soonyoung’s face when he entered. The door unlocked and, as best as he could, Wonwoo sat up.

Surprised didn’t come close to describing the emotions Soonyoung was feeling when he walked through the door. His jaw hit the floor, almost literally as he stumbled inside, his feet not working fast enough as they struggled to kick off his shoes. Behind him was Jihoon, not less surprised but more controlled, looking around wide-eyed.

“You’re welcome?” Jihoon tried and Soonyoung ran past him and out the door again, checking the number marked on it. Confirming it was the correct one, he came back inside and leaned his hand on Jihoon’s shoulder, trying to catch his breath “What the fuck?” he asked and Jihoon couldn’t even shrug.

The apartment was perfect. There was no more debris, no more stains, no more half-finished anything. The walls were whole and painted white, the sockets were covered nicely and the ceiling was finished. Wonwoo had gone the several extra miles and used his magic to also fully furnish the place. He didn’t know Soonyoung’s tastes so he didn’t dare do any decorating, but all the essentials like couches, fridge, stove, washing machine, shower, bed, desks, tables and chairs, Wonwoo had given him all. A huge flatscreen hung from the wall and nice, clear lights hung from the ceiling. The bathroom had a toilet now, and a shower and sink and mirror, the tile work alternating white and black to make it look bigger than it actually was. Wonwoo had no idea what Soonyoung did for a living, so in his room there was only a bed, as big as it could be without being inconvenient, and a small desk under the window. The wardrobe was built-in, but Wonwoo gave it a new nice set of doors and a full-body mirror. He had unpacked the big bag Soonyoung had left there this morning and hung the clothes that were inside on the wooden hangers, everything else he left in the bag and placed it on top of the chair.  Not to be prideful, but he reckoned he did a great job overall.

“Holy shit,” Jihoon said, after touring the place with a catatonic Soonyoung “It looks like straight out of a magazine.” He turned and gave Soonyoung a serious look “What happened here?”

“I-I don’t know,” Soonyoung said, weakly “Everything was a mess today, I tried calling the constructor the whole day from work but his number is disconnected. And I sure as hell can’t afford any of this.”

“Did you sign up for any contest? Maybe you won.” Jihoon tried and Soonyoug gave him a bewildered look.

“I won a non-existent contest where people come into my house, without me knowing, and finish weeks of renovations plus furnish everything free of charge and leave?” Soonyoung asked and Jihoon shrugged. “I don’t know, what’s your idea?”

“I can’t think,” Soonyoung replied “It doesn’t feel real. How is this possible, Jihoonie?”

“What’s that?” Jihoon asked and walked to the kitchen counter, where Wonwoo had placed a small flower vase with the message Welcome Home and a tiny card. Jihoon picked the card up and read it silently, head tilting in confusion.

“What does it say?” Soonyoung asked, moving closer. Instead of answering, Jihoon simply turned the card around and showed the writing to Soonyoung. In clear block letters, there were only a few words: Hope it’s to your liking - WW.

“Wow, Soonyoungie won the lottery and didn’t tell us!” someone shouted from the door as more people came in. Jihoon had quickly called Mingyu after they found the card and Mingyu had called Jeonghan who apparently had called everyone they knew and soon enough they all started to pour in, so much so that Soonyoung had texted everyone the front door access code so he didn’t have to come down every time. First had been Mingyu and then Jun shortly after, with a tall man named Minghao next to him who apparently owned the coffee shop Jun worked at. Then Seokmin, who Jun had mentioned earlier at the coffee shop, and he brought another couple friend of theirs who Wonwoo learned were called Hansol and Seungkwan and he had no idea how they were a couple  when they seemed so different to Wonwoo. The new arrivals were the newly-engaged Seungcheol and Jeonghan, who shouted as he walked in. Trailing behind them was another friend who seemed a bit younger, perhaps the same age as Seungkwan, and he carried bags of groceries and drinks. 

The apartment wasn’t tiny by any means but it also wasn’t huge, so it was a tight fit but somehow the group made it work. Wonwoo was once again glad he didn’t have a physical body so he wasn’t competing for space with anyone, but seeing how most of his strength was still gone, he had no doubt he would have remained sitting on his spot on the floor anyway. Soonyoung was busy making sure everyone had drinks and enthusiastically talking to everybody, making the group laugh and shrugging off all inquiries about the apartment since he had no answers for them. The lottery jokes were commonplace, as well as jokes about them being on a prank tv show or Soonyoung having found a secret sugar daddy (courtesy of Jun). Mingyu relieved the younger friend of his bags and beckoned Seokmin to help him in the kitchen. Wonwoo kicked himself for forgetting to stock up the fridge and pantry but he doubted he had any magic left for today anyway, but Soonyoung and Jihoon had walked out and gone grocery shopping before their friends start arriving, anything else they forgot Wonwoo assumed had been brought by Seungcheol and Jeonghan just now. Luckily Wonwoo did remember to conjure up a full set of pots and pans and utensils, so they didn’t have to worry about that.

Still on the floor, watching them all laugh and make each other laugh, Wonwoo found himself smiling. It had been so long since he had felt anything close to happiness, he wasn’t even sure he was allowed to. Sure, he had broken his promise and meddled uninvited, but it felt so worth it. Instead of using the chairs and tables, the group sat on the floor as Mingyu and Seokmin brought out a couple dishes from the kitchen but there was never a lull in the conversation despite how eagerly they dove into the food. By some casualty, Soonyoung was sitting right next to Wonwoo, almost leaning against the wall as he was, and for a second Wonwoo imagined he was real and sitting with them all, eating and drinking and having fun, pondering over the mystery of the apartment. Seokmin had pulled out his phone and called another friend, turning the camera so they could all wave and greet whoever it was he had called, and Wonwoo almost waved with them, catching himself before he did.

“Yah, hyung, we miss you” Seokmin said, with a pout, turning the camera back to himself and pouting.

“Seokmin misses you more, though.” Jun interjected, pushing Seokmin’s face out of focus so he could talk to the camera “I heard him watching porn and crying the other day.” 

The caller laughed loudly and said “ At least he does, you already replaced me and I’ve been gone only for a week.”

“How could we replace you, Hong Jisoo?” Jeonghan asked, nearly shouting so he could be heard over the teasing Seokmin was under.

“ Yeah, then who’s that sitting next to Soonyoung, huh?” Jisoo asked and all laughter died down almost immediately, eleven pairs of eyes turning to Soonyoung who didn’t have, apparently, no one sitting next to him.

“Babe, there is no one there,” Seokmin said slowly, turning the camera again and pointing it towards Soonyoung, who was still staring at the empty space next to him intently. Through the phone screen, Wonwoo could see Jisoo squint as his eyes carefully studied the screen.

“ I must be sleep deprived” Jisoo said, at last, “ I could have sworn I saw someone sitting there.”

“Looks like you replaced me to not have been sleeping at night.” Seokmin said, teasing Jisoo and restarting the conversation. Jisoo was quick to deny it, but by then it was too late and his voice had buried under the catcalls and whistles from the group. Everyone joined in to say goodbye, except Soonyoung who only did it half-heartedly, his eyes still turning every now and then to the floor next to him. 

Eventually, the party died down. Those who hadn’t cooked began cleaning up and doing the dishes, sealing trash bags and separating the recyclables. Slowly, in twos and threes, everybody said their goodbyes and walked out the door.

“Have a good night, sis” Jun said, hugging Soonyoung “We’ll go out next weekend and find you a nice man to help you break that bed in.”

“Call me if you need anything,” Jihoon said next, quickly but firmly hugging Soonyoung too “Or if you get too scared.” 

Soonyoung only laughed and said “Get out of here.” Which Jihoon did, Mingyu’s hand in his and Jun, rolling his eyes at that, behind them. Soonyoung watched them get on the elevator from the door, only closing and locking it after they were gone. He sighed and leaned heavily against the door, eyes scanning his apartment carefully, still a bit out of it. That look stayed on Soonyoung’s eyes as he walked about the apartment, touching every surface, wondering out loud if it was all real or if he was sleeping. Somehow, Wonwoo found the strength to get up and follow him, trying to see the magic of the place through his eyes. What would Wonwoo think, if he didn’t have magic and didn’t know how this could have happened? What would Wonwoo feel if he were in Soonyoung’s place? Would he feel relieved, having a major problem taken care of for him or would he feel invaded, like his home wasn’t safe since anyone could come in and renovate it for him? Would he feel grateful to whoever did it or indebted? Would he trust them or fear them?

With tiny steps, Wonwoo followed Soonyoung through his nightly routine. Minghao and Mingyu had brought a couple duffle bags filled with Soonyoung’s things he had asked them to keep for him and he now riffled through them, pulling out a few items and leaving to rest to deal with after. Still dazed, Soonyoung showered (Wonwoo waited for him outside) and changed, talking to himself out loud at how the water had good pressure. Wonwoo stood behind him as Soonyoung applied some lotions to his face, taken from a small pouch of his backpack Wonwoo had missed, thoroughly rubbing everywhere. Wonwoo had no idea what it was, but he was fascinated by every small action Soonyoung did. Watching him as he brushed his teeth, Wonwoo began to feel like a creep, weird and uncomfortable and invasive, and decided to finally leave and go back to his park. Surely midnight was close enough and Wonwoo felt so tired he wondered if he would even have another sunrise. He turned to leave and his eyes met Soonyoung’s through his reflection one more time and Wonwoo wished him a good life in his thoughts.

Soonyoung screamed.

It wasn’t a long, terrified scream. More like an exaggerated noise of surprise, but it was still loud and jarring compared to the silence that had been installed since everybody else left. It was enough to make Wonwoo flinch and recoil, almost metaphorically tripping on his own feet. Soonyoung turned around, eyes frantically searching the empty space behind him, more than once passing by Wonwoo but never staying. His breath had picked up and he looked pale, whatever he thought he saw had clearly shaken him. 

Wonwoo, that’s what he thought he saw. Somehow, Wonwoo figured, Soonyoung caught a glimpse of him in the mirror’s reflection and that had spooked him to hell and back. Soonyoung probably hadn’t been in the right state of mind, anyway, with the whole surprise home makeover he had no way of explaining. Then there had been the call with Jisoo who thought he saw someone else sitting with the group and now this, it had probably been more than enough to make Soonyoung feel very much not safe. And Wonwoo wanted to kick himself in the ass because of that as it had never been his intention to freak Soonyoung out at all, much less make him feel like he was in danger or whatever.

“Is anyone there?” Soonyoung asked in a weak voice, a tone that very much implied he wished he got no response and Wonwoo hated himself for making him so afraid. He wanted to find a way to convey to Soonyoung that he was safe and fine and Wonwoo was leaving anyway. He wanted with all his heart to just make everything okay again. He could feel his desire seep into his magic and, before he could get a hold of it, exit.

The lights overhead flickered once, then twice, then went out with a soft pop .

Well, that wasn’t exactly what he had in mind. If Soonyoung was spooked before, now he was straight up terrified, judging by the substantially longer scream he let out and the few tears falling from his eyes. There was little Wonwoo could do other than get his magic under control again and try to make himself as small as possible as Soonyoung dashed from the bathroom to the bedroom, hastily packing a change of clothes and just as quickly leaving the apartment all together. If he wasn’t feeling like absolute shit, Wonwoo would commend Soonyoung survival instincts; he was probably the one that shouted “ No, don’t go in there, get out ” at horror movie protagonists. As it were, Wonwoo was feeling like shit for putting Soonyoung and that position and, in more than one way, wished he could just vanished without a trace.

He was still weak, luckily, and still in pain so he figured his wish was close to becoming a reality. Once again he started to feel, through his magic probably, that midnight was approaching and he would finally be out of Soonyoung’s life once and for all. He let his body fall on the ground, not unlike sitting but with much less care, powerless and suffering and waited for the midnight bells to get loud enough so that he could just pass out. Surely, the bells were there, ringing, and Wonwoo counted them as people did in anticipation for a new year. 

Seven , this must be immediate retribution from breaking his word to the universe.

Eight, he hoped Soonyoung would come back and enjoy the apartment without fear.

Nine , he hoped guilt wasn’t the last feeling he would ever have.

Ten , it wouldn’t be, it would be pain.

Eleven , everything hurt and Wonwoo could barely pinpoint exactly where it was coming from.

Twelve, he wished he could see Soonyoung again even if just for a second.

Darkness.

“Hyung, what’s wrong?”.

Wonwoo opened his eyes. It was not the sunrise that had woken him up, like usual. In fact, it was still very much dark outside. He found himself sitting down next to an open door, an inquiring Seokmin on the inside of it and, standing outside next to Wonwoo, a still very much freaked out Soonyoung, jumpy and wide-eyed.

“There’s something wrong with my apartment” Soonyoung answered and went inside, half hugging, half pushing Seokmin to gain access. Seokmin accepted both, easily enough, and closed the door behind them. Before Wonwoo could even process what had just happened, he felt himself being dragged inside, through the wall and door, and was now sitting on the inside of the apartment. Soonyoung was still hugging Seokmin for dear life and all Seokmin could do was hug him back and wait for an explanation.

In fact, Wonwoo would love an explanation as well. His body still ached, he was still weak and apparently his magic was still out of control. It was still not the next morning and he was still attached to Soonyoung.

Still? Again? He had no clue.

Had he stayed? Had Soonyoung been his human for yesterday too, without him even noticing? It made no sense since he had woken up in Jihoon and Mingyu’s apartment, not Soonyoung’s, so it made no sense for him to have stayed.

Soonyoung had been there, though, his mind supplied. He had left early, waking up before dawn, but he had slept there. And the day before, when Wonwoo had been taken to Jeonghan and Seungcheol’s apartment, Soonyoung was there too. That had to be it, Wonwoo was not being shown couples as a punishment from the Universe, he had been taken to Soonyoung and then he had stayed. And since Soonyoung couldn’t sleep in his own place yet, Wonwoo too had been dragged with him to his friend’s houses.

He had stayed! If he didn’t hurt so much, he would feel rejoiced or vindicated. Like so many others he had seen throughout the centuries, he had found someone that his magic thought was worth staying for. He understood now, the overwhelming sensation of needing to help Soonyoung, of comforting him, of making sure he was okay. He understood the pull, the fascination he felt, like Soonyoung was a magical beacon or anchor for him, so had been lost and adrift for so long. His magic was telling him that his time of choosing was nearly there and Wonwoo had been blinded by anger and resentment to even realize it.

“I saw a creepy old man ghost in the mirror,” Soonyoung said.

Well, fuck him. Creepy old man? When both him and Jun had called him handsome just this morning? Wonwoo was not sticking around for this, the Universe could take this brilliant idea and shove it in a black hole far far away.

But then again, that was what he was, wasn’t it? A creepy old man ghost, stupidly wasting his days in an abandoned park, waiting to die alone. Having given up on everything, lastly and specially hope. And then he had been given a last chance at a shot at everything he had ever wanted and hadn’t even realized it, choosing instead to fade away, too weak and pitiful and in pain to do anything about it.

“Slow down, slow down” Seokmin said in a calming tone, taking Soonyoung deeper into the apartment and sitting him down “What are you talking about?”

“Remember when you were talking to Jisoo-hyung and he said he thought he saw someone sitting next to me?” Soonyoung asked and waited for Seokmin to nod before continuing “Well, I was brushing my teeth right now and when I looked at the mirror, there was this old man standing behind me. When I turned around, he was gone.” retelling the story seemed to freak Soonyoung out all over again and Seokmin, instead of offering some kind words dismissing the story, actually turned just as pale and wide-eyed as Soonyoung.

“Don’t joke with that, hyung,” Seokmin warned him, high-pitched.

“I’m not!” Soonyoung protested, “Also, this morning at the coffee shop, there was this really hot guy talking to me and Jun and then he just disappeared, like that” he snapped his fingers for effect.

Seokmin seemed to relax and even giggled a little. “Well, hot men disappearing on you and Junnie-hyung seems pretty on brand,” he said and Soonyoung flickered him in the forehead.

“Yah, don’t be a shit, I’m in distress here.” Soonyoung chastised him “Really, though, he sat there with us, Junnie gave him a coffee, he offered to help with my apartment and then, poof, he was gone.” 

“A hot stranger offered to help you with your apartment?” Seokmin asked, eyebrows furrowed in confusion “How did he even know you needed help? We didn’t.” he sounded a bit hurt.

“I had just told Junnie I could use some help with painting and stuff and he offered,” Soonyoung explained “Then we called Jeonghan-hyung for him to check if we could trust this guy or not but next thing we knew, he was gone.”

“Like that?” Seokmin asked, snapping his fingers too, like Soonyoung “Did you get a name at least?”

“Of course I did, he’s name was…” Soonyoung hesitated, his own brows furrowing in confusion now. He seemed to be thinking hard about something and barely noticed the distress in Seokmin’s face as he waited for an answer. Instead, Soonyoung dove into his backpack, frantically turning it inside out and throwing it’s contents everywhere. Eventually, he found what he was looking for: a small, rectangular paper card. It was a bit worse for the wear, but the words on it still looked clear. Hope it’s to your liking - WW.

“Wonwoo.” Soonyoung said, at least. He gave the card to Seokmin who looked at it without understanding. “Jihoonie and I found this card at my place when we arrived there today, when we noticed it was all made over. Hot guy said he’s name was Wonwoo. WW.”

Seokmin looked up at Soonyoung then down again at the card, then up again at Soonyoung then down again at the card. Finally understanding what Soonyoung was saying, he dropped it on the floor with a yelp, like it had burned him, and did his best to quickly scoot as far away from it as possible. “Hyung, what are you saying?”

“I don’t know,” Soonyoung made no motion to pick the card up but stared at it intently “I just now realized it too.”

Invisible to them, Wonwoo still sat on the floor, too weak and confused to do anything or react to anything. His mind was working a million miles an hour, trying to piece together the last few days but one major question still remained: if he had indeed stayed, and accepted his magic back because of that, why was he still in pain? Why was he still weak and why had Soonyoung seen him like a decaying old man in the mirror that night when he had called him hot just that morning? Which was to ask, why was Wonwoo still decaying?

Plagued by these questions, Wonwoo didn’t really keep track of their conversation, until the moment Soonyoung said his name out loud. The first time it had felt like a shock, like a bucket of cold water had fallen on his head. Soonyoung remembered him, remembered his name. If he had lungs, he imagined it would feel like a breath of fresh air. The second time Soonyoung said his name, however, it hurt. It felt like a weight on top of him, pushing him against the ground; it felt like electricity running through his veins and fire burning in his chest, overloading his senses. It wasn’t unlike that morning, at the coffee shop, when they shook hands but it was also completely different, much stronger. That morning, he had been something new to Soonyoung’s perception; now, he was a memory, lasting and, if Wonwoo was right, becoming more vivid in Soonyoung’s mind.

The lights inside the apartment flickered, all of them, and both Soonyoung and Seokmin jumped into each other’s arms, wide-eyed and pale faced. The TV turned on and off by itself and the windows rattled against their frames. Wonwoo couldn’t control it, not with how weak he was, not when all this magic poured out of him all at once, and he didn’t even know why. The lights stopped flickering but grew brighter, and brighter and brighter until one by one the lightbulbs popped. Wonwoo felt himself growing warmer in the dark and his conscience was fading; he thought he heard both Soonyoung and Seokmin screaming but it was far away. He made one last effort to stand up and just leave but it was too much and he blacked out.

Rays of sunlight ran across his face and hurt his eyes, making Wonwoo grunt and turn around in an attempt at blocking them. He felt less pain, given the rise in power the early morning usually gave him, but his head was foggy with sleep which was unusual. Wonwoo didn’t actually sleep, he didn’t think; more like he ceased to exist at night and then reformed in the morning. That had been his best guess across the years, but now he felt so tired he could sleep for another whole day.

“So, you’re alive,” a voice said next to him and all grogginess vanished instantly. Wonwoo opened his arms and sat up, noticing several things at once. One, he was on a couch he did not know with a blanket covering his legs. Two, he had on clothes, the same white shirt/black pants combo from the coffee shop that seemed to be the standard for whenever he had a physical body now. Three, and perhaps more important, he had a physical body now and Soonyoung was staring right at it.

Soonyoung was sitting on the floor, eyes red rimmed and bloodshot. He had probably stayed up all night, watching over Wonwoo who had, somehow, decided to take a physical body for a second time in two days after who knows how long since the last time. Wonwoo looked down at his own hands, flexing his fingers before his eyes, then turning to stare at Soonyoung.

“I’m sorry” he felt himself saying “I never meant for any of that.”

“That what, exactly?” Soonyoung asked, curtly. He was not the happy go lucky guy Wonwoo had seen the past few days, but tense and tired and, most of all, confused “Yesterday was a shit show and the cherry on top was you, plopping down from the ceiling, out of nowhere , passed out and nearly giving me and my friend a heart attack. So I would very much like to know, what the fuck is going on?”

“That, I’m sorry about that,” Wonwoo started “And the shit show and the cherry.”

“Oh, so she’s trying to be funny now?” Soonyoung got up and took a lap around the room, hands in his hips and murmuring to himself “I see you for five minutes in a coffee shop and next thing I know you’re on my friend’s floor and now you’re cracking jokes?”

“It’s not a joke, but I don’t think you’ll ever believe me” Wonwoo tried to convey how truthful and honest he was being but he could tell Soonyoung was far too angry and scared and tired to believe just that. He wanted to just live, to shelter Soonyoung from the knowledge, to tell him to just try and forget last night had ever happened and live his life and Wonwoo would happily be out of it forever. The pain inside his head worsened but he had to battle it and just walk away, which he tried to do only to be stopped by Soonyoung’s hand on his shoulder.

“You’re not going before I get an explanation or I’ll wake Seokmin up and we call the cops” he said and that was it, really. Not only his words, but the intensity in them and also the single point of warm contact between them anchoring Wonwoo better than everything ever did and providing him with some clarity at last. There was no walking away for this, there was no waiting in the park until midnight to get a redo, this was the moment to confront himself and everything he had been and lay it out for Soonyoung. So Wonwoo talked.

He told him everything: what he was, all he had done. He told him of centuries of waiting, of trying his best only to be disappointed. He told him of meeting others like himself and seeing them deciding to give all they were for some human but how he had never met someone to allow him to do that. He told him of giving up, of renouncing his magic and waiting, day after day after day, for the Universe to also give up on him and letting him just go. He told him of the first day he saw him and how he thought meeting a soon-to be engaged couple was punishment from the Universe and he told him of how he had lost control and every time since that morning his magic had brought him again to Soonyoung. He told him of the apartment and Jisoo’s call, of the mirror and the magic and how every decision he had taken with good intention in the last days had backfired and how tired he was and how sorry he was.

“And all I want is for it to stop,” Wonwoo was about done “I used the last bit of magic I had to finish your apartment for you and I meant to just go, just return my damn essence to the damn fabric of the damn Universe, only hoping that you would be happy.”

All this time, Soonyoung was quiet. Not once had he interrupted, or asked any questions or laughed at Wonwoo’s preposterous stories. Somehow, Wonwoo felt, he believed him but in believing he hated him. He didn’t seem that angry anymore but he was no less tired or confused.

“So what now?” He asked, after a few moments of silence “Am I supposed to love you now? Am I supposed to understand that the Universe or whatever sent me a perfect soulmate, tailor made for me , and just accept him into my life. I don’t know you.”

“I know that, and I’m not asking for any of that” Wonwoo was quick to say “I’m not asking anything of you other than forgiveness. I made my choice, a long time ago, to just disappear and that is what is happening to me, you saw it. I’m fading, there won’t be anything left of me soon enough.”

“But I don’t want you to die either!” Soonyoung was frustrated, retaking his steps around the room and moving his hands energetically “What sane person would believe a single word of what you just said? But I do, and I don’t know what I can do to forgive you and I don’t want you to die. I want to know you but how is that possible when you decided you’re better off gone?”

This was torture, it had to be. Wonwoo should never have meddled, should never had cared, this is what happened when you cared. And for some reason he cared so much that Soonyoung’s distress was a physical pain inside of him and he had no idea how to make it right, how to make everything ok again. If he could know Soonyoung, if Soonyoung could know him all over again, from the start, would they still be in the same position? Would he still be willing to fade if it meant Soonyoung’s happiness? Was this the grand plan of the Universe when it brought the both of them together and, furthermore, what had Soonyoung done to deserve all of it? If he were given the choice again, no magic this time, would he stay because of Soonyoung?

“Oh,” Wonwoo said, out loud “Oh I’m such an idiot.”

“Yes, you are,” Soonyoung agreed. “But explain in what way.”

“This has nothing to do with the Universe, this is about us.” Wonwoo began “About the ones like me and the ones like you. I don’t know why we are the way we are, but we’re put thorough this to be shown that there’s more than one way to be human and then, eventually, we meet someone who is not tailor made for us, because that’s bullshit, but someone for whom we would stay anyway.”

“What does that mean, are you not supposed to be my soulmate then?”

“I don’t think so,” Wonwoo said “I think I kept running into you so I could choose not to run anymore. I could walk away from you, for good, or I could do what the others did what it felt like to be human and surrender my magic, become one of you.”

“Why would you even do that?”

“Because the alternative is unthinkable. That’s what the others learned and what it took me so long to see. We are not soulmates but I think, for me, you’re worth staying for. That’s what I needed to see. It isn’t about being soulmates, it’s about choosing to stay everyday because the option of leaving, and living forever after experiencing this, is impossible.” Wonwoo stared at Soonyoung’s eyes as he kneeled down next to him, carefully picking up one of his hands and holding it between his two ones.

“So that’s all I am, then? An excuse for you to stay?” His hands were warm despite his cold words and Wonwoo could hear and feel that they hurt Soonyoung more than they hurt him.

“Not an excuse, no” Wonwoo tried his best to explain but he could feel his magic slowly returning to him, inexplicably, through Soonyoung’s touch “But the chance to do it again and do it right.”

“And do I get a choice in this or am I supposed to be the damsel in distress, waiting for a magical prince to fall out of the skies, imprint on me and decide I’m good enough for him?”

“Oh, Soonyoung, it’s all you now,” Wonwoo said, picking up his words carefully “I’ve been through all of this to learn that no amount of power or time can compare to way it feels to be seen by you, but if we ever meet again I’m not gonna carry that bagage and it would be up to you to decide to stay for me.”

“If you do that,” Soonyoung sounded choked up, like he had something stuck in his throat “Who would you be? And if this isn’t about soulmates, how do you know you’ll even see me again?”

“It isn’t and I don’t.” Wonwoo for some reason felt like laughing. He had run to and from this moment his entire existence and now that it was here he didn’t want to let it go “But that’s part of being human, isn’t it? But I feel that, magic or not, whoever I am, I would still choose you.”

Soonyoung did laugh, but it sounded sad. “It’s funny, I think this might be about soulmates because I’ve only known you for a couple hours but I feel something like that too.”

Wonwoo laughed too, just as sadly. Maybe it was about soulmates. Maybe it wasn’t and soulmates were just a fairytale. Maybe souls weren’t a thing at all and magic was a scam. I mean, how could he have the power to decide the fate of two people and change the lives of countless others in the process? How could he be so sure of something that barely existed? Because Soonyoung was right, they didn’t know each other but he was willing to give up everything he was and had been for a chance of maybe changing that. Maybe that certainty didn’t come from time. You could live decades with someone and then realize you made a mistake. You could meet someone for five minutes and be sure that you would be in each other’s lives forever. Nothing was set in stone and only the ability to make their own choices, on equal ground, could change the future. Wonwoo had to give them that chance. He could feel that Soonyoung had reached the same conclusion as he had, even though his feelings were a bit more complex. He hadn’t seen what Wonwoo had seen and he hadn’t lived what Wonwoo had lived. It wasn’t fair to dump all of this on him and make him feel like he had no choice in the matter. It had to be both of them, deciding to go in blind and take a chance on each other or it didn’t matter.

Their linked hands felt like live wires, dangerous but still beautiful. Each passing second, Wonwoo felt more powerful and more human, paradoxically. It felt like it had at the coffee shop but ten times stronger, connecting them not only superficially but much deeply, so they knew when the time came. Wonwoo closed his eyes, embracing all of the magic he could for the last time. It had always been there, at the very edge of him, waiting for him to call upon it and use it for what it was meant to be used for. He felt, for a brief second, Soonyoun’s lips on his and a small whisper, a promise that couldn’t be kept because both parties would forget about it, but a promise nonetheless. Suddenly it was too much, too bright. Wonwoo released it and the world dissolved.

“Yah, can you stop bouncing around, it’s not gonna make him arrive any faster,” Jihoon told them off, but it went mostly unheard. The airport was busy that day, lots of people walking around with all sorts of bags and backpacks, but none of them came from the gates their group was standing in front of.

Jisoo was arriving today after his month abroad and Seokmin could barely contain his excitement. He made the ones responsible for driving them to and from the airport ready two hours before, arriving there much earlier than necessary and his energy had only made the minutes go by slower. The pick up team consisted of Seokmin, naturally; Jihoon, who owned the car; Mingyu, who apparently could stand to be apart from Jihoon for more than two hours; and Soonyoung, who only came because he had the day off and a chance of getting an embarrassing video of Seokmin and Jisoo reuniting to use as blackmail in the future. Friendship.

Seokmin had brought flowers, for some reason, and a huge-ass sign that read “You were missed” in black, impersonal block letters. Jisoo didn’t really like big gestures but Seokmin loved them so this was the compromise. Soonyong imagined this was worse than just commiting to the sign and going all-out with glitter and declarations of eternal love, but whatever floated their boat.

Finally, the gates opened and people started pouring out. Some looked disgruntled by the whole airport affair, which was understable, and some looked excited to have arrived. A few complained loudly on their phone about the time wasted waiting at baggage claim and a couple others rushed to hug their family or loved ones waiting for them at the other side. Seokmin held his ridiculous sign high, searching impatiently for Jisoo to walk out next. Soonyoung didn’t have the heart to make fun of him and in part was because he also missed Jisoo, it never felt right when their group wasn’t complete. Another couple came out, one of them dressed in all black and looking like the world’s grumpiest cat while the other had a fairy-like air to him, hair dyed a bright orange and smiling while the other seemed to complain about something to him. Soonyoung’s eyes met the orange-haired boy’s for a second and he thought the boy gave him a cheeky wink but he was quickly distracted by Seokmin resuming his bouncing, this time much more energetically.

Jisoo had finally emerged, pushing his luggage in a small car and not looking like he had just walked out of a 12-hour long flight. He had no trouble spotting Seokmin, either because of the sign or the bouncing, and his smile could have illuminated the whole place. It was disgusting, Soonyoung felt disgusted, but at the same time he couldn’t help but smile too. Even Jihoon, the self-proclaimed cold one of the group, was waving energetically next to an also bouncing Mingyu. Soonyoung had his phone out, camera ready, and said “Well, go on then.”

Jisoo heard him and rolled his eyes fondly, but he did pick up the pace and suddenly Mingyu had an armful of luggage cart and Jihoon had an armful of paper sign and Seokmin had an armful of Hong Jisoo, both of them murmuring in each other’s necks how much they missed each other and some more disgusting things that people in love said to each other, but Soonyoung had the camera pointed at them and if he shed a tear or two no one would have any evidence of that. 

“Are they always like that?” a deep voice asked Soonyoung and he turned around to see who had talked only to find his jaw on the floor. Now, Soonyoung had an above average looking group of friends; he could be biased, but he agreed with Jun when he said they were all so hot it was unfair to other people, that’s why a few of them ended up becoming couples. But this man right here was on a whole other level.

The dark eyes, hidden behind clear framed glasses, were smart and penetrating and seemed to stare right at Soonyoung’s soul. His smile was contained, polite, and so beautiful Soonyoung had a hard time looking anywhere else, but the shoulder to waist ratio surely caught his attention, disguised only by a white t-shirt and light denim pants. There was also a chest Soonyoung wouldn’t mind laying his head on to take a nap or motorboating for hours, either/or. Somehow he got a hold on himself and brought his gaze back up “Well, usually they’d be naked by now but they are restraining themselves for the general public’s sake”.

The man laughed and the sound caused Jisoo and Seokmin to separate, but not by much. “Don’t believe anything he tells you” Jisoo warned the man, before quickly hugging his other friends.

“I missed you all so much,” he said, saving Soonyoung’s hug for last. The man stood there, much less comfortable than before, looking around awkwardly “Oh, sorry.” Jisoo pushed him forward to meet everyone. “Everyone, this is Jeon Wonwoo. You’ll never believe it, there I am at this bar, after the first week, deciding if it was worth it to even have a masters degree at all and just about to quit when this guy right here just sits next to me and starts talking all wise and shit.”  

“I was just ordering a drink, hyung, I didn’t even see you there.” Wonwoo laughed and Jisoo shushed him “Anyway, we became friends after a while and helped each other with our papers and now he’s here.”

“Hyung, you can’t adopt every hot stranger you meet,” Soonyoung said and both Wonwoo and Jisoo stared at him for different reasons.

“Hot?” Wonwoo asked, in a low voice while Jisoo said “Why not, that’s how you became part of the group.”

“Did Jeonghan clear him?” Jihoon asked when Jisoo assured him that he had, he simply said “Fine by me then, but there isn’t room in the car for everybody.”

“Oh, that’s fine, I’ll just take a cab” Wonwoo said quickly, and Jisoo turned to look at Soonyoung.

“Why don’t you go with him, Soonyoung?” he asked, smiling maliciously “The fare would be cheaper divided by two.”

Everyone then turned at Soonyoung who wilted under the attention. On one hand, he could share a cab with a hot stranger who had been cleared by Jeonghan. On the other hand, he did not like the look Jisoo was giving him, like he could read his mind or something. There was this strange feeling inside of him though, like this was an important thing all of the sudden. For some reason, the image of the winking, orange-haired man from earlier flashed through his mind and Soonyoung realized he had already decided it, before Jisoo had even suggested it.

“Sure, no problem,” he said and Jisoo smiled widely. Wonwoo bowed, politely and said “Thank you.”

The group walked out together but split at the entrance, the two couples heading for Jihoon’s car while Soonyoung and Wonwoo hailed a cab.

“You know,” Wonwoo said, while they waited “I hope this isn’t weird, but I have the strangest feeling I’ll be seeing you guys a lot.”

“I was just thinking the same thing!” Soonyoung nearly shouted, turning a few heads, but he didn’t mind. Wonwoo had put into words what he had been feeling since Jisoo introduced him “I’m Kwon Soonyoung, by the way.” he offered his hand and Wonwoo took it, shaking it lightly.

“I’m Jeon Wonwoo,” he introduced himself properly “I hope we become good friends.”

“Me too,” Soonyoung smiled and he realized it took both of them a moment too long to pull their hands apart. There it was again, that feeling of right. Wonwoo’s hand felt right in his, and that wasn’t just his general horniness talking. 

Yeah, they would be seeing each other a lot, Soonyoung could feel it. Maybe Jisoo had finished his masters degree and maybe Seokmin had finished waiting for him to come back and maybe some other things were finished for everyone else that had walked out of that plane today. But, for Soonyoung, he felt that something was just getting started.